Scotland’s only Chinese SNP councillor quits party over ‘racist attack’ email

Scotland’s only Chinese SNP councillor has quit the party, amid claims of being subjected to a “racist attack”.

Yen Hongmei Jin, 29, says she was forced to resign after the party’s top brass failed to protect her against “discrimination” from local party members.

It comes after she received a “rude” and “vulgar” email in February in response to a Burns night fundraising event she had organised.

Ms Jin, who represents the Lochar ward, Dumfries and Galloway, says she was targeted for setting up the traditional event without having Scottish roots.

She raised the matter with the party’s HQ in Edinburgh, but said she was left disappointed that no action was taken almost six months on.

The councillor, who plans to run as an independent candidate in next year’s Scottish parliamentary elections, yesterday reported the matter to police.

She said: “If the party knows about it and they don’t take any action, how can they prove that they are not discriminating?

“The way I’ve been treated is definitely racist. It’s disgusting.”

An SNP spokesman said the party would not comment while the police probed the allegations.